Police have charged 13 Australians with Philippines-based child sex abuse offences and rescued almost 100 children during a year-long international crackdown.
The Philippines National Police said on Sunday 18 alleged child exploitation facilitators were charged and 92 children were saved as a result of 35 investigations coordinated by the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC) in 2025.
PICACC cooperated with law enforcement from the UK and the Netherlands, along with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which helped on investigations that resulted in the 13 Australians being charged and 40 children being removed from harm.
They include a Darwin man, 69, who pleaded guilty to child sex offences on December 10, a West Australian man, 74, who was jailed for 23 years for child sex offences, a Victorian man, 52, jailed for 10 years and 10 months, and an Alice Springs man, 28, a WA man, 59, and a Victorian man, 43, who are still before the courts.
The investigation into the Darwin man also resulted in the arrest of two Philippines nationals and six children being removed from harm, while the Filipino parents of the 74-year-old WA man’s female child victim were both jailed for 27 years.
A Filipino woman was arrested and a boy and girl removed from harm as part of the investigation into the Alice Springs man in July.
A woman was charged and a child removed from harm during the investigation into the 59-year-old WA man, and three children were removed from harm and a woman known to them charged in connection with the 52-year-old Victorian man.
Two women and one man who allegedly facilitated the live-streaming of abuse to the 43-year-old Victorian man were arrested in the Philippines earlier this month, and 11 children rescued.
Since February 2019 PICACC has carried out 324 operations leading to charges against 187 people and 865 victims being removed from harm, of which 77 were charged and 315 rescued as a result of AFP investigations.
The AFP said Australians were suspected of being major offenders in the Philippines due to the similar time zones, direct flights from capital cities and the large English-speaking population.
“It is horrific how many Australian criminals are helping to drive this vile demand in the Philippines for offenders to abuse innocent children,” said AFP Detective Sergeant Leesa Alexander, who is based in Philippines capital of Manila.
“Child abuse is abhorrent and can leave victims with a lifelong burden.”
Philippine National Police Chief of the Women and Children’s Protection Centre, Brigadier General Sheila Portento, said Philippines-based paedophiles would be tracked down and prosecuted no matter where they were from.
“We need communities to be involved in reporting cases and let us do our part to address the abuse so somebody will be held accountable for their actions,” Brigadier General Portento said.
“The partnership between PNP and AFP is crucial to removing children from harm. We will put offenders and facilitators before court, regardless of the country they are in.”
Header image: Left, right, arrests made in the Philippines (AFP/PNP).
